IMERSS biodiversity informatics working group and
ecocultural mapping team
April 30th, 2024
Welcome
Tth’ihwum m’i ‘ewu i’ Xetthecum sii’em. Welcome to
Xetthecum! Known as Retreat Cove in English, this is a place
endeared to many, which holds many cultural and ecological values.
Elders and community members have shared their stories of these
cherished lands and waters, while others have helped to document the
many species that make their home here. Our aim with this story map is
to engage you all as visitors, to learn about the rich biodiversity and
cultural values of this special place, so that you can contribute to
restoring and protecting it.
Bird’s eye view of Xetthecum
The Caves at Xetthecum
Many people know about the caves of Xetthecum, which draw
people here in large numbers throughout the year. However, few are aware
that this area holds great cultural significance to Penelakut and other
Hul’q’umi’num-speaking peoples, and that the caves are of particular
spiritual importance. Over the last decade, the caves have become an
increasingly popular tourist destination, and are consequentially
becoming degraded by vandalism and overuse. Concerned community members
hope that the caves might some day be protected. Until then, this sacred
site remains at serious risk of being irreversibly damaged.
Bird’s eye view of Xetthecum
Respect and Protect
“We must protect the food sources. There are a lot of foods and
medicines that are no longer there anymore.” Penelakut elder
Thiyaas / Florence James
Penelakut elders hold a deep and ancient knowledge about the plants,
animals, places and ceremonies of their people, and have emphasized the
need to protect and respect important cultural places such as the caves
at Xetthecum. We encourage you to enjoy the beauty and serenity
of this place, while respecting the need to protect it from overuse and
damage. Please respect all signage, do not trespass, and know that with
these actions you are participating in important reconciliation work.
Thank you. Huy’ch’qa!
Land Acknowledgement
In the spirit of respect and gratitude, we acknowledge that
Xetthecum (Retreat Cove), Galiano Island resides within the
trans-boundary bioregion of the Salish Sea, a richly biodiverse expanse
that has been tended to and cherished by the Coast Salish people since
time immemorial. The island rests within the shared, asserted, and
unceded traditional territories of the Penelakut, Lamalcha, and Hwlitsum
First Nations, as well as the shared, asserted, and ceded traditional
territories of Tsawwassen First Nation. Additionally, we acknowledge the
territories of all other Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking peoples who hold rights
and responsibilities in this region.
As residents on Galiano Island and learners in this work, we are
grateful to be a part of the intricate tapestry of cultural and
ecological diversity that weaves us together in this place. We commit to
acknowledging the history and ongoing presence of Indigenous Peoples in
this area and strive to foster relationships that honor and respect the
rights, traditions, and contributions of the Coast Salish and
Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking peoples.
This project is a work in progress and we are learning and fumbling
together as we go. Please get in touch with us with any thoughts,
questions or ideas about what you see here.
Xetthecum (Retreat Cove), Galiano Island, BC, Canada
Xetthecum
To some, the area known as Xetthecum refers strictly to
Retreat Cove. Yet set into the landscape context, its boundaries may be
expanded to include the greater extent of the Greig Creek Watershed,
including the creek which runs from Laughlin Lake to the cove. This
watershed spans residential and agricultural lands, protected and
covenanted areas, as well as public amenities such as a shore access and
public dock. Complex in its ecology, cultural history, and contemporary
land-use, this landscape is a vibrant mosaic with many intersecting life
ways, weaving together both human and more-than-human worlds.
Life at the Cove: Retreat Cove
Xetthecum is of great historical and cultural significance
for the Penelakut peoples, once serving as a site for seasonal resource
gathering as well as cultural and spiritual rituals and practices.
Arriving by canoe, however, the cove was of foremost importance as a
place where one could take refuge in a storm. The cove and surrounding
offshore waters provide habitat for rockfish and a great diversity of
fish, which also made it an important fishing site. Today, however,
Retreat Cove lies within a marine protected area, to protect rockfish
from over-fishing.
Beyond a place of refuge and fish, Retreat Cove opened up on a source
of freshwater, as well as opportunities for resource gathering and
travel. Lying at the narrowest point on the island, a shore-to-shore
footpath connected Retreat Cove with Cable Bay, allowing over-land
travel across the island. This story map follows this trail, beginning
with the rich abundance of marine life found at the cove, before
following in the footsteps of Thiyas and her family up Grieg
Creek to Laughlin Lake.
Landing at Retreat Cove with her family, Thiyas recalled that
smelts (surf smelt, stsa’kwum) would go by and move in circles, and the
seagulls would try to get them.
“I used to spend time up in Xetthecum with my grandparents visiting with
friends and picking berries and fruit. Sometimes we would anchor in
there if we had to when we were on the boats.”
Rosemary Georgeson
Xetthecum was important for social and cultural gatherings, as well as
for traditional activities such as fishing and clam digging.
Lorne Silvey
Life at the Cove: Delta
The Greig Creek delta was once home to clam gardens, which were an
important food source for the Penelakut people. Clam digging, thus, was
an important cultural activity. Littleneck clams (skw’lhey) were harvested from the
delta during the spring and summer night tides. Other marine life, such
as butter clams (s-axwa’),
basket cockles (stl’ula’um), and fish like
dog (coho) salmon (the’wun),
were also gathered at Xetthecum. However, the delta has changed
dramatically since the childhood years recounted by Thiyas
(Florence James). Today, the delta is largely dominated by invasive
oysters, which Thiyas did not recall seeing when she visited
this place with her family.
The shellfish were laid overtop of kelp (bull kelp, q’am’) and then stepped on to
get the water out; ironwood (oceanspray, qethulhp) was singed in the
fire, used to poke the clams and then stuck in the mud by the fire to
cook them. Western red cedar (xpey’) bark was made into string/rope
which was used to string up clams by the fire. After they were cooked we
would smoke the shellfish.
Octopus (xelex uwe) was
speared, usually at night.
View of the delta from above, looking toward Retreat Island
View of the delta looking toward the mouth of Greig Creek
Lying near the mouths of Greig Creek (Hwta’loonèts ) and Davidson
Creek,the eelgrass beds at Xetthecum are an important marine ecological
community. Eelgrass is a
foundational species that creates a complex marine habitat, thereby
providing shelter for a large number of species, from microscopic
bacteria and algae to crabs, fishes and birds at higher trophic
levels.
Eelgrass meadows, kelp beds (q’am’) and coastal marshes are
massive carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 at a rate of up to 90 times that of
forests on land. Protection and conservation of these areas is thus
important not only for biodiversity and marine species health, but also
for worldwide climate change mitigation.
Ecological Community: Freshwater
The eelgrass beds at Xetthecum form a critical saltwater (kw’atl’kwa)
nursery for many species’ young including juvenile salmon () and
flatfish (), and serve as a spawning ground for herring. They also
provide rich foraging habitat for numerous invertebrates and many larger
creatures, including heron (smuq’wa) and geese (ey’x), and are home to the
Hooded nudibranch or sea slug (q’uyatl’un).
iNaturalist observation of eelgrass
’Imush Q’uyatl’un
i’mush q’uyatl’un follows the movements of a sea slug, the hooded
nudibranch (q’uyatl’un), as it
dances through the water during a receding tide. It dances to a
Puneluxutth’ song titled, “imush ‘q’uyatl’un” (“be with me snail”), and
is accompanied by text written by the singer/story teller, Florence
James, Thiyaas (a Puneluxutth’ elder). It is a simple story, which
explains the importance of moving slowly, paying attention, and
observing every little aspect of the environment. It is a video that
draws attention to an animal who is rarely observed – an animal whose
intertidal landscape is severely threatened.
Surrounded by water, the residents, visitors and non-resident
property owners of Galiano Island see the ocean as intrinsic to living
and loving life on this island. Sightings of q’ul-lhanamutsum (orca whales) and
other marine mammals are treasured hallmarks of island life. However,
for many community members, the ocean is first and foremost a source of
food and livelihood. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people on
Galiano enjoy fish such as thuqi’ (sockeye salmon), haan (pink salmon),
tuqwtuqw (red snapper) and t’q’as (rockfish in general). Also prized are
tl’uxwtl’uxw (oysters), s-axwa’ (clams), kwuneem’mun’,
(scallops), ey’x (dungeness
crabs), thikwt (sea
cucumber) and seaweeds & algaes such as lhuq’us (red laver).
Thiyas (Florence James) shared that e s-hw (seal) has also been
prized as a dark meat.
Xetthecum (Retreat Cove/Island) is one of the few marine locations on
the shoreline of Galiano itself that has been an important place for
fishing and harvesting shellfish. Its desirability as a habitat for
rockfish in particular has since become so notable that it has been
designated a marine protected area—in which fishing is banned—in order
to conserve these long-lived species that are slow to reproduce. As the
tide is not too fast, Xetthecum was once also a good area for other
creatures, such as clams, pun’eq’ (geoduck) and dog fish. It
is important that community members are able to harvest and consume
these foods without getting sick, therefore environmental health of the
ocean is vital.
Culturally significant beaches and shorelines on Galiano Island, such
as those near Xetthecum are used as places to congregate for picnics,
social events, ceremonial sites, and as food gathering sites by local
First Nations peoples. Bays, inlets, and coves like Xetthecum are also a
place of safe harbour during storms, or places to moor one’s boat during
winters.
Many (if not all) of the Indigenous families associated with Galiano
have been fishing since time out of mind. The Seafood Fest has been an
extremely significant annual cultural event for decades primarily
because so many of the island’s inhabitants have been passing down the
skills, knowledge and secret locations of where to find the best sources
of seafood for generations. Unfortunately, due to overfishing,
destruction of marine habitat, pollution and other industrial causes,
the bounty of the sea has become so limited that few members of the next
generation can make a living fishing, and most of the menu for the
Seafood Fest now has to be purchased from elsewhere.
In the past, no one would ever reveal the locations of where to
harvest seafood, but now this is merely a list of where these creatures
once were. Locations of significance include Porlier Pass for rockfish,
Pinnacle Rock on the south side of Porlier Pass for lingcod, and Walker
Hook off of Saltspring for rockfish. As for salmon, Cable Bay was once a
good location for chum salmon, as was Enterprise Reef off of Mayne
Island, and other waters off Valdes Island. Yet many fishing areas that
have been important for Indigenous community members on Galiano over the
past hundred years are much farther away, necessitating long periods of
time that families are separated. The closest of these locations include
the west coast of Vancouver Island such as Jordan River, Race Rocks, San
Juan Harbour near Port Renfrew, and areas near River’s Inlet to the
Skeena.
Historic and Cultural Significance
Xetthecum is of important historical and cultural
significance for the Penelakut peoples, once serving as a site for
seasonal resource gathering as well as cultural and spiritual rituals
and practices. Sitting at the narrowest point on the island, Xetthecum
is located at one end of a shore-to-shore route that allowed for
important over-land travel across the island. The cover and delta were a
primary resource-gathering area. Penelakut elder Thiyaas (Florence
James) and her family gathered an array of resources from this place,
including berries, fruit, and shellfish as well as medicinal
resources.
Stories of the Elders
The Penelakut elders hold powerful and important sacred and spiritual
knowledge regarding certain plants, animals, places and ceremonies of
their people, much of which has not been included on this website. This
knowledge will be passed down only to those with the rights and training
to be able to receive it and use it safely and appropriately (adapted
from Luciim’s Plants).
“We must protect the food sources. There are a lot of foods and
medicines that are no longer there anymore.”
Penelakut elder Thiyaas / Florence James
Fish and Shellfish Harvesting
Gathering Medicine
Thiyaas and her family would sometimes travel to Retreat Cove in the
racing canoe. They would pull in near Retreat Island and Thiyaas’
grandfather would walk to Laughlin Lake for medicine. At other times the
whole family would gather traditional medicines at Laughlin Lake, such
as a plant that has features similar to corn, like husk and silk (not
cattail).
Plant Harvesting
Thiyaas mentions gathering licorice fern (tlu’siip) root from maple
trees (bigleaf maple, q’um’-unulhp) near Retreat
Cove.
Blackberries (trailing blackberry, sqw’’iil’muhw or Himalayan blackberry,
or cutleaf blackberry?) were picked all the way from the Lighthouse down
to Retreat Cove. The family would wake at 5am with granny and walk to
collect the berries.
Fireweed (xats’et),
was used for stuffing sleep mats (today it can be found along Retreat
Cove Road and at Laughlin Lake).
The base of the cattail/bulrush (stth’e’qun) plant can be eaten,
it looks like celery. When you cut the top to use the bulrush, you can
use the root as a vegetable. It was also used for creating mats.
Mushrooms, (kwmusuliqw or mumsilit)
Ecological Communities - Thuthiqut / Forests
Including Mature, Young, and Pole Sapling
Shaped by interactions between water, soil, terrain, climate and the
multitudes of beings that live within them, forests are a sanctuary for
hundreds of thousands of species of plants, fungi, mammals, birds,
insects and microorganisms. Forests provide shelter, clean water, and
food, the foundations for a complex web of life in which we are
intricately connected. Humans have been stewarding forests on Galiano
since time out of mind, in order to ensure key species that we depend on
can flourish and help us thrive.
Dry ridges or steep southwest facing slopes with nutrient poor,
shallow soils tend to be dominated by a mix of gnarled ts’sey
(Douglas-fir) and qaanlhp
(arbutus), and shrubby species such as lulutth’sulhp (dull oregon
grape) or xwiinlhp (baldhip
rose), all of which provide medicine. These drier ecological communities
are mapped as woodlands in this map.
Moister forests are characterized by towering ts’sey
(Douglas-fir) and robust xpey’
(western red cedar), which is known as the ‘tree of life’, as it can
provide essential material for everything from ocean-worthy canoes, to
rot-resistant buildings, beautiful carvings, and woven rain hats. The
most valuable xpey’ for these purposes are old growth trees, which are
allowed to grow slowly for hundreds of years in order to provide fine
and clear-grained bark for weaving and wood for carving. Traditional
Indigenous harvesting methods of only taking a strip of bark or plank of
wood from one side can allow such trees to survive, heal and continue
growing. The understory in this type of forest is dominated by plants
that can grow in symbiosis with the fungicide xpey’ releases into the
soil to discourage competition from other plants. This type of forest is
often thick with t’eqe’
(salal) and suniiulhp (tall
oregon grape), both of which provide nutritious berries, as well as sthxélem (sword fern), which is
a spiritually significant plant that also provides fiddleheads as a
special winter treat.
These older forests are models of complexity, exhibiting a vast
diversity of composition (the parts), structure (the arrangement of the
parts), and function (how the parts interact with one another). Big ts’alhulhp (bigleaf maple) that
are covered in moss offer habitat for other culturally significant
species, such as tl’usiip
(licorice fern), which Florence James shared can be used as a sweetener:
if one gently lifts the moss with your pinky to reveal the root, the
licorice fern root can be rinsed, chopped up, mixed with berries and
placed on a board in the sun to dry. If it is flipped the next day to
dry the other side, this can be kept to have on hand.
In mature and old growth forests, trees are present in all stages of
their life cycles including standing dead snags and fallen debris, large
or small—providing critical habitat for culturally significant species
such as yuxwule’ (bald
eagle) and ha’put (black
tailed deer). Forests are valued for hunting ha’put (deer) from
September to October, although Florence James cautions that we should
not hunt females or hunt after the rut, but wait until after the ironwood (qethulhp) blooms
turned brown. The first deer hunted was always shared as a ritual; each
species had rules and rituals. It is tradition to bring an elder a piece
of meat from hunting, just as one shared the first fish caught during
seafood harvests.
Ecological Communities - Tl’elhumqa’ / Freshwater
Healthy wetlands, lakes and streams are havens for humans and
wildlife alike, providing critical habitat and a source of freshwater. A
diversity of plant life, bacteria and insects thrive in these
ecosystems, forming complex food webs that support many culturally
important species, such as stseelhtun (salmon). Thuqi’ (sockeye salmon)
and haan (pink salmon) are two types of salmon favoured by Indigenous
community members on Galiano. In addition, the enhanced growth and
forest structure found in riparian areas provides necessary cover for
wildlife, which is also important for culturally significant activities
such as hunting and birdwatching. Ha’put (black
tailed deer) and smuqw’a’ (great blue heron)
depend on freshwater areas for food and water.
Wetlands on Galiano include lakes, shallow water, swamps, marshes,
wet meadows, fens, and bog communities, many of which are represented in
the watershed that flows into Xetthecum. Swamps and riparian areas
include flood-tolerant trees such as xpey’ (western red cedar) which “like
to have their feet wet”, kwulala’ulhp
(red alder), whose inner bark offers a source of emergency food in the
spring, and swele’ulhp (willow),
which is useful for making fish traps. Other helpful plants that grow
here include stth’e’qun
(cattail) which provides a useful source of materials for both binding
and insulation, sxum’xum’
(horsetail), which makes a yellow brown dye and ts’a’kw’a’ (skunk cabbage)
which can be used to wrap food to keep it fresh. These areas are prized
for berry-picking and gathering other edible and medicinal plants such
as lila’ (salmonberry), t’uqwum’ (thimbleberry), t’eqe’ (salal), suniiulhp (oregon grape), sqw’uqwtsus (red huckleberry)
and me’uwhulhp (Labrador tea).
Colonial settlers began to alter Galiano’s landscape in the late
1800’s in ways that were very different from the strategies used by
pre-contact First Nations communities. Instead of respecting the
integrity of streams, wetlands and riparian areas and honouring the role
that sqwul’ew’ (beaver) play in
revitalizing freshwater ecosystems, these areas have been focal points
for resource extraction, agriculture, logging, construction,
transportation and waste disposal.
Hwtalonēts (Greig Creek) does not currently support large populations
of salmon. In fact, there are no sea-run salmon or trout populations
currently spawning in the island’s streams. There are, however, resident
cutthroat trout and stickleback populations that have persisted in a
number of our creeks. These fish are no longer able to make it to the
ocean because of barriers such as waterfalls, ditched agricultural
fields and dams. Efforts to re-establish Coho and Chum populations in
Greig Creek have been taking place, mainly through stream bank
restoration and stocking, in part through the local school caring for
and releasing salmon fry on an annual basis. This is a significant
experience for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children alike on Galiano.
Habitat for a resident cutthroat trout population in Murchison creek has
been improved through the creation of off-channel ponds and the
placement of large woody debris within the channel.
Ecological Communities - Woodlands
Often known as Garry Oak Meadow ecosystems, a decolonized perspective
prioritizes not the largest or most visually obvious species, P’hwulhp
(Garry oak - named for a Hudson’s Bay Company officer, Nicholas Garry,
by botanist David Douglas), but instead the most culturally significant
species, speenhw (blue camas). Fields of speenhw have been cultivated
for thousands of years by First Nations Camas Keepers throughout this
region, creating a unique ecosystem that is not found anywhere else in
the world. Like speenhw, stl’ults’uluqw’us (chocolate lily / tiger lily)
are very beautiful and edible. Other culturally significant species
include t’uliqw’ulhp (yarrow) and q’uxmin (barestem desert parsley /
wild celery), which are prized for their medicinal qualities.
Penelakut elder Thiyaas (Florence James) calls this type of ecosystem
shthuliim: “a beautiful meadow with cushions for your feet made of moss,
tender growth, grass…” She adds that p’hwulhp (Garry Oak) was made
crooked by the creator so that its branches are useless to people and it
will be left alone, and mentions that the presence of p’hwulhp is
evidence that the land is being taken care of. Thiyaas told us that
pheasant, quail, and grouse were a lot more abundant in these woodland
meadow environments, and that they used to be a regular part of
Indigenous people’s diets in this area. Like speenhw, the bulbs of
stl’ults’uluqw’us (chocolate lily / tiger lily) are very beautiful and
edible when cooked. Thiyaas used to collect fawn lilies and
ti’tuqw-el’tun’ (lady slippers) for her mother, as her mother would eat
the bulbs. “That was just our joy”… but there is not enough to collect
anymore.” Other culturally significant species include t’uliqw’ulhp
(yarrow) and q’uxmin (barestem desert parsley / wild celery), which are
prized for their medicinal qualities.
As in other locations throughout Southern Vancouver Island and the
Gulf Islands, speenhw have been cultivated since time immemorial because
they are a culturally, economically and nutritionally significant staple
food. The beautiful purple flowers that bloom in the spring are merely
the tip of the iceberg, as this nutritious bulb requires human
intervention to thrive through regular, controlled burning and digging
to harvest bulbs and aerate the soil. Control of camas meadows have
fueled community growth, trade, conflict and the expression of
matrilineal rights and responsibilities for generations beyond count. As
control over these camas meadows has been taken away from Indigenous
knowledge keepers, the species that depend upon them have become
endangered, and traditional management practices are only now being
recovered and re-instituted in some areas.
Camas meadows on Galiano are critically important to maintaining the
island’s biodiversity. “Together, Garry oak and associated ecosystems
are home to more plant species than any other terrestrial ecosystem in
coastal British Columbia. Many of these species occur nowhere else in
Canada…Collectively, Garry oak ecosystems are among the most endangered
in Canada – less than 5% of the original habitat remains in a
near-natural condition.” (GOERT, 2003) On Galiano, Garry oak and
associated ecosystems are generally limited to steep, south-southwest
facing slopes and shoreline areas. They tend to occur in areas with very
dry shallow soils or that are too exposed to wind and sun for forest
ecosystems to flourish, as without active human cultivation, more
desirable areas have been taken over by other plants.
In addition to p’hwulhp (Garry oaks) which provide medicinal bark,
camas meadow ecosystems may also include scattered qaanlhp (arbutus),
which provide medicinal bark and leaves as well as edible berries. While
they prefer wetter areas, occasionally other trees can survive in camas
meadows, such as ts’alhulhp (bigleaf maple) which can provide leaves to
flavour camas pit cook feasts, edible flowers and medicinal shoots, sap
and cambium, and ts’sey (Douglas-fir), which is valued for many uses
such as tools, poles and its pitch. The garry oak understory, often
referred to as meadowland or savannah, is largely comprised of grasses,
forbs and shrubby vegetation.
Threats
Like our older forests, camas meadow / Garry oak ecosystems are
endangered. Over 100 species of plant, mammal, reptile, bird, butterfly
and other insects are listed as vulnerable in these ecosystems (GOERT,
2003). This status is due to a number of factors including colonialism,
construction, agriculture, fire suppression, and invasive exotic
species. Unlike among the lək̓ʷəŋən people of the Songhees and Esquimalt
First Nations in what is also known as Victoria, there have not been
Camas Keepers on Galiano for several generations. As knowledge of this
incredibly valuable staple food must be held close, it could have taken
only one or two deaths of a Camas Keeper and her apprentice by smallpox
or some other effect of colonization, to wipe out active cultivation of
the Camas meadows on Galiano. However, speenhw are a hardy, beautiful
plant that can self-reproduce through both seeds and bulbs, so they have
survived in numbers through the creation of parks, such as
Bellhouse.
With construction and the colonial suppression of fire, however, also
came the spread of exotic plant species such as Scotch broom, orchard
grass and velvet grass. These and other fast growing, aggressive alien
species were brought to Galiano by humans from as far away as Europe.
Exotics have managed to thrive in the sunny open meadows characteristic
of the Garry oak ecosystem. These species tend to choke out our native
vegetation, alter soil conditions, and change natural processes needed
by microorganisms, insects, and other wildlife. The spread of invasive
exotic plants and decline of native plants in Garry oak and associated
ecosystems has also been linked to high levels of herbivore grazing
(Gonzales, 2004), such as by Galiano’s large resident deer population or
domestic livestock.
Residential construction has had the greatest impact on Galiano’s
camas meadow ecosystems. This is due to their location on south and
southwest facing slopes coinciding with the most sought after waterfront
and view real estate on the Island. Fire suppression is also having an
effect. Prevention of natural fires on these sites, combined with the
cessation of First Nations burning and cultivation has in places created
a condition more conducive to forest growth. The invasion or progression
of young Douglas-fir trees and common forest understory species out into
camas meadows has been observed in several locations on Galiano. Most of
the remaining camas meadow ecosystems have survived on exposed slopes
that are too steep for residences, with soils too shallow to support a
forest.
From the Lake to the Delta: Xatsa’ / Laughlin Lake
Laughlin Lake is part of a complex wetland ecosystem supporting a
diversity of plant life, including culturally significant species like
cattail (stth’e’qun) and
fireweed (xáts’et).
The riparian areas surrounding the lake are crucial for wildlife,
offering habitat for species like black-tailed deer (ha’put) and great
blue heron (smuqw’a’).
From the Lake to the Delta: Hwta’loonèts / Greig Creek
Grieg Creek was once home to abundant salmon which were an important
source of food for the Penelakut peoples. Indigenous and non-Indigenous
communities on the island are now working together to restore Coho and
Chum salmon populations in the creek, primarily through stream bank
restoration and salmon fry release by local schools. This activity is an
educational and cultural experience for both Indigenous and
non-Indigenous children.
The caves at Xetthecum have significant spiritual and cultural
significance for the Hul’q’umi’num’ speaking peoples of this region.
Retreat Cove, including its caves, served as a location for private
ceremonies for the people of Penelakut. Penelakut elders have emphasized
the need to protect and respect these important cultural spaces; until
now, the caves have not been protected and are at risk of being damaged
by vandalism and overuse as a result of tourism.
Fish and Shellfish Harvesting
Gathering Medicine
Plant Harvesting
